It is often convenient for beverages to be sold in containers containing single servings of the beverages, where the containers also serve as the vessels from which the beverages are consumed. These vessels (e.g. metal cans or glass bottles) have become popular for many beverages such as soft drinks and beer, but there is some resistance to their use for wines.
The consumption of wine is generally enhanced if the vessel from which it is consumed is shaped so that the wine has a large upper surface and has a large opening—both of which enhance the consumer's olfactory experience. Further, the vessel should preferably have a stable pedestal—preferably with a stem, by which the vessel can be held and which can assists in limiting heat transfer from the consumer's hand to the wine. These features are all embodied in conventional wine glasses and in addition to the practical features of wine glasses, consumers often frown upon the use of other vessels for drinking wine.
In order to store wine for extended periods, its exposure to oxygen should be kept to a minimum. This can be achieved in sealed glass bottles—especially if the necks of the bottles were purged with nitrogen during the filling process, but bottles are not suitable for direct consumption of wine—for reasons provided above.
Attempts have been made to provide single serving containers in which wine is sold and which can be used for drinking the wine. These containers typically resemble a flat-bottomed drinking cup, of transparent thermoplastic material, with a removable foil seal extending over its opening. The containers are shaped for cost-effective injection moulding, with the result that they resemble drinking cups suitable for soft drinks, without the stem and base that are preferred for drinking wine. Further, the shelf life of wine in these containers is often short, partly because of oxygen ingress by osmosis through the thermoplastic container walls and partly because of ineffective nitrogen purging when the containers are filled. The large openings of the containers allow nitrogen to escape and/or allow excessive ambient oxygen ingress into the containers, before they are sealed.
The present invention seeks to provide drinking vessels that serve as containers for beverages and also serve as the vessels from which the beverages are consumed, which address the shortfalls of existing containers/vessels mentioned above. In particular, the invention seeks to provide drinking vessels that enhance shelf life for the beverages and that appeal to consumers. In addition, the drinking vessels should preferably be cost-effective and be light in weight, yet robust enough for use out-doors. The invention seeks to provide drinking vessels particularly suitable for wine, but its use also extends to other beverages.